Hotel Review: Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa
My stay at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa was paid for by myself. This post may contain affiliate links.
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Located in the Huvadhoo Atoll, just about 35 miles north of the Equator, the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa offers a beautiful refuge from the hustle and bustle of daily life. With a gorgeous reef right off the shore to explore plus a spa, multiple dining options and lots of activities, you can forget all your worries and enjoy island life.
When we went: November 2021
Accomodations: Beach Pool Villa and Overwater Villa
Getting there: Fly into Male (VIA) which is served by several airlines including Emirates (Dubai), Air France (Paris), Lufthansa (Frankfurt), British Airways (London) and Qatar (Doha) to name a few.
From Male Airport, you’ll be met by a Hyatt staff member who will escort you to the domestic transfers lounge. When it is time to board your flight, they will assist you in getting to the terminal.
Upon arrival at the local airport, another staff member will greet you and you will board the hotel boat for a 35 minute transfer.
The water can be choppy so, if you get seasick, consider taking medication proactively or use Sea Bands.
Entry Requirements: Most people will not need a visa ahead of time but check on the Maldives Tourism website (IMUGA) for the latest information. As an American and a British citizen, we did the following:
- Presented a certificate showing a negative PCR Covid test taken at least 96 hours prior to first port of embarkation en-route to the Maldives.
- Uploaded our test results, vaccination records and other info to the IMUGA portal which generate a QR code for each traveler
- We showed this code and our passports upon arrival to the Immigration officer and it was a pretty seamless experience
Accommodations: The rooms range from a basic beach villa (sleeps 2) to the newly constructed Hadahaa Presidential Overwater Residence (sleeps up to 6).Â
We started in the Beach Pool Villa – a comfortable one bedroom accommodation with a King Bed, oversized bathroom indoors, outdoor shower & bath area and a private deck with a plunge pool. We had direct beach access with a set of loungers for us.Â
We then moved to an Overwater Sunset Pool Villa to check out that experience. It was absolutely incredible.
Dining: We were actually very impressed with the food & drink at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa. The food was high quality, flavorful and offered a range of dishes from local seafood cuisine to vegetarian options.
Breakfast has both a cooked to order as well as a buffet with freshly made coffee, juices and smoothie bowls. Lunch is served at the same spot with options also available at the bar.
For dinner, the main restaurant is open as well as other options: The Island Grill (BBQ), Treehouse (vegetarian) and a new Japanese-inspired option coming soon called Koi @ The Drift.Â
Room service is also available 24 hours a day.
Blue Journeys: The on-site dive shop and excursion manager is Blue Journeys. They offer everything from provisioning gear (kayaks and snorkel equipment) to guided adventures like snorkeling and scuba diving. We did the Intro to Scuba Course (new for my husband, a refresher for me who had not been diving in a decade). Our guide, Tomas, did a classroom review with us before practicing skills in the pool. After, we ventured out to the house reef to explore.
We were scheduled to do the Equator Experience but, unfortunately, the weather cancelled that since the water outside the atoll was quite rough. We opted to do something within the atoll – guided snorkeling where we saw tons of marine life include a group of black tipped sharks! After, our crew set-up a beach picnic for us on a private island which was truly one of the highlights of our trip.
Vidhun Spa: We visited the spa a few times, opting for the 3-day (2 hours each day) Ufaa Day treatment package. Each treatment is done in your private spa villa – no shared locker rooms. Your spa hosts welcome you with a drink, escorts you to your changing area and then to the adjacent treatment room. Our spa rituals included scrubs, massage and facials and it was another highlight of the trip.
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Pools: In addition to the private pools at most of the villas, there are also two other pools for guests to use. One in the main area by the beach and a second in the spa area.
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How to fill your days: While you can blissfully enjoy the beach and pool, there are a few other options to fill your days:
- Attend a complimentary yoga or meditation class
- Use the fitness center
- Kayak or snorkel in the house reef (clear kayaks available for $10/hour)
- Plan an excursion with Blue Journeys: snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing to name a few
- Head to the spa for a treatment (recommend to book in advance)
Hospitality:
From the moment we arrived by boat and were greeted by the staff to meeting our personal host, we knew they had all their bases covered. Your personal host can be contacted through WhatsApp to assist with everything from adding activities, getting extra items from housekeeping to arranging tests for the journey home. This extra touch definitely helped elevate our experience.
FAQs:
Do I need to tip in the Maldives?
A service charge is added to dining and excursion bills (10%) but this is split among the whole staff. If you would like to recognize a specific staff member, cash is recommended. We brought some USD in $5, $10 and $20 notes for this purpose. Tipping is definitely not expected here but greatly appreciated.
What is the food like?
So much choice and everything was labeled clearly on menus. At breakfast, we enjoyed avocado toast and frittatas along with a hot cappuccino. Lunch was typically a wrap, burger or salad. For dinner, we splurged on 3-course meals with delicious starters, entrees (everything from pasta to steak to Thai curries) and dessert.Â
Is wi-fi reliable?
Yes, we had wifi on our room as well as common areas at no extra charge. We could easily do video calls back home and browse the web without buffering.
Any bugs or critters to worry about?
Thankfully, bugs were at a minimum. The resort does proactively treat the island to reduce mosquitoes although we did see a few. No issues with sand fleas or flies which is a huge plus! Lots of tiny lizards, fruit bats (that actually fly around during the day!) and birds.
In the water, mostly colorful fish with some small reef sharks that come close to shore. There is a turtle that also hangs out near the island.
What can I wear around the resort?
The Maldives is a Muslim country so, in the cities, you’ll notice women dressed very conservatively. Assuming you are a resort (and not a guest house/homestay), you can wear sleeveless tops/dresses, bikinis and shorts.
What do I need to bring?
The resort does provide the basics in many regards so you mainly need to pack:
- Clothing for day time and evening (very casual)
- Swimsuits (bring a few)
- Sandals
- Toiletries (shampoo, conditioner, body wash and other basics are provided)
- Personal electronics with chargers (no need for converters as plugs accept the US prongs)
- Cash for tipping
Have another question about staying at the Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa? Drop it in the comments!
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